• View/Pay Bill
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • New Service Contract
  • Newsletter
  • Safety
Lake Region Electric Cooperative
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
(800) 552-7658
LREC Logo
  • Customer Service
    • The Customer Service section brings together all the tools and information you need to create and manage your account, monitor your electricity usage, make online payments, and more!
      • View/Pay My Bill - SmartHub
      • Payment Options
      • Energy Assistance
      • Outage Center
      • Outage Notifications
      • View Outage Map
      • Report An Outage Online
      • Contact Us
      • Learn About SmartHub
      • Load Control Notifications
      • Understanding My Bill
      • Rates
      • Request New Service
      • Newsletter: NewsFlashes
      • CEO Message
      • Update Contact Information
  • Products & Services
    • Packed with information about the services your electric cooperative offers, our Products and Services area helps you with managing your home energy. With a wide variety of options ranging from geothermal to solar to
      • Solar Programs
      • GoWest Solar
      • Community Solar
      • Residential Standby Generator Systems
      • Off-Peak Space Heating
      • Off-Peak Water Heating
      • Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)
      • Natural Gas: Lake Region Energy Services
      • ChargeWise Electric Vehicle
      • Ag & Commercial Energy Grants
      • Renewable Energy Interconnection
      • Rebates, Loans, & Tax Credits
      • EASY-PAY
      • EnergyWise MN Store
      • Security Lights
  • Your Co-op
    • Stay updated on the latest news and events going on with your cooperative. Learn about Lake Region Electric Cooperative—from our service area, mission, and community programs.
      • Mission & Vision
      • Energy Sources
      • Wind-Solar Hybrid Project
      • Lake Region Community Storage
      • Careers
      • Cooperative Governance
      • Board of Directors
      • Annual Meeting
      • District Meetings
      • Designated Voter
      • Financial Summaries
      • Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
      • Election Information
      • Operation Round Up
      • Capital Credits
      • Capital Credits FAQs
      • LREC Veteran Lineworker Scholarship
      • News & Events
      • News
      • Great River Energy Newsroom
      • Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
      • Energy Forum
      • Safety
      • Safety Articles
      • Vegetation Management
      • Electric Industry
      • Economic Development
      • Privacy Policy
      • Statement of Nondiscrimination
      • Our Videos
      • Member Guide
  • Forms & Resources
    • Find every form you need in our comprehensive Form Library. Find qualified contractors and view load management resources. Contractors can access valuable information in our Contractors section.
      • Forms & Information Library
      • Operation Round Up Sign Up
      • New Service Application
      • Transfer of Service
      • Virtual Member Advisory Committee
      • Contact Us
      • Contractor Resources
      • Program & Resources Guide
      • QI A/C & ASHP Contractors
      • Today's Load Management
      • Search

The Future of Energy Storage

Monday, November 16, 2020

Energy storage technology is extremely versatile—it can be small enough to fit in your phone, or large enough to power your entire home.

Most people are familiar with small-scale batteries for handheld devices, but utility-scale batteries take energy storage to a whole new level. The ability to store energy helps to ensure that energy demand meets supply at any given time, making electricity available when you need it. Although battery prices have been decreasing steadily over the last several years, energy storage can be expensive to attain.

Energy storage currently plays a crucial role in incorporating renewable energy into our electric grid. Solar and wind energy are weather-dependent, so when energy demand is low but energy supply is high from the sun or wind, storing the excess energy makes it possible to use it later when demand is higher. As renewable energy becomes more prevalent, energy storage will help to create a more resilient grid.

Lake Region Electric Cooperative has been conducting a pilot project that is testing the ability of large capacity water heaters to act as thermal storage batteries. Water heaters enrolled in this pilot are equipped with internet connected control technology, allowing them to be managed on a larger scale. Excess electricity generated by our local Wind-Solar Hybrid (see below) is then intelligently stored as hot water to be used later.

As technologies improve, equipment costs decrease, and more renewable energy is generated, there is a great potential for utility-scale energy storage to continue expanding in the coming decades.

Previous News Item

ORU Funds Support New BIO Girls Program

Next News Item

LRES 2020 Summary




Recent News

Crews are Performing Exacter Patrolling
Jul 21, 2023, 12:37 PM
Energy Transition: Challenges & Opportunities During System Transformation // July 2023 CEO Column
Jul 17, 2023, 3:21 PM
2022 Capital Credit Allocation
Jul 14, 2023, 3:35 PM
STAR Energy Services Conducting Inspections
Jul 13, 2023, 10:15 AM
SEALED BID: 1998 Bobcat 763 Skid Steer
Jun 29, 2023, 1:55 PM
SEALED BID: 2012 Ford F550 w/40ft Bucket
Jun 29, 2023, 1:50 PM
FREE Youth Baseball Clinic | August 4
Jun 29, 2023, 8:28 AM
Your Co-op Strives to Be Your Local Trusted Energy Services Provider…and More // June 2023 CEO Column
Jun 14, 2023, 10:23 AM
Phone Scam Alert
Jun 13, 2023, 3:54 PM
Forum highlights energy issues in Minnesota
May 22, 2023, 9:48 AM

Contractors

  • Contractors Resources
  • 2021 Program & Resource Guide
  • Water Heaters
  • Steffes Heaters

Common Forms

  • Application for New Service
  • Transfer Existing Service
  • Load Management Application
  • Authorization to Reconnect Service

Quicklinks

  • Report An Outage Online
  • Career Opportunities
  • Load Control
  • Operation Round Up
  • Gopher State One Call
  • QI A/C & ASHP Contractors
  • Economic Development
  • Our Recent Videos
  • Renewable Energy Interconnection

Otter Tail Lake Country Association badge.


LREC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

A Creative Culture website.
© 2025 Lake Region Electric Cooperative